Ashley Asks Why Toon Academy Is Not Working!

25 June 2013 10:44

Mike Ashley's 5-year-plan was to build the best youth academy in the Premier League . so what's gone wrong?

As we saw last season, when the kids were drafted in for the League Cup, FA Cup and European ties . they weren't up to scratch.

Who is coming through the ranks that excites?

Having watched the reserves many times last season, I cannot name one!

I can promise you . there ain't no Gazza, Pedro, Waddle or Shearer hiding under a stone waiting to dazzle.

Part of new director of football Joe Kinnear’s job is to take more of a strategic role with the reserves and younger players, which is one area that owner Mike Ashley does not feel has provided enough value for money in recent years.

When United were left without specialist centre-back cover in December 2011 – forcing them into playing Danny Simpson there – Ashley is understood to have questioned why there were no defenders of the required standard coming through the Academy who could be used.

Work has been done in the meantime to try and remedy this situation, but Ashley is understood to have expressed his dismay again this season that the squad does not have enough players on the fringes who are ready to make an impact.

Kinnear hinted last Sunday that his remit included assessing fringe players, who did not feature in the Premier League last season, to make a judgement on whether they were good enough.

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